Structural holding and aligning fixture



July 22, 1969 R w. JOHNSON 3,456,702

STRUCTURAL HOLDING AND ALIGNING FIXTURE Filed July 11, 1966 privy/114*);

United States Patent 3,456,702 STRUCTURAL HOLDING AND ALIGNING FIXTURE Robert W. Johnson, 7455 Rupert Ave., Richmond Heights, Mo. 63117 Filed July 11, 1966, Ser. No. 564,421 Int. Cl. B23q 3/50, 17/50 US. Cl. 145-1 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carpenters fixture for aligning wall studs at the top and toe plates and for retaining the studs in place until more permanently anchored or secured by nailing.

This invention relates to improvements in structural holding and aligning fixtures, and is particularly directed to an improved fixture for use, particularly by carpenters, in framing work such as the aligning of the studs between the top and toe plates in a frame wall.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a simple, easy to use fixture of the character indicated which may be quickly mounted in position and removed therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fixture of the character indicated that may be easily adaptable for use on the top or toe plates of a building wall for the purpose of accurately locating the studs in the wall at desired locations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fixture which may be used by either right or left handed carpenters or other workers with equal facility.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth hereinafter in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof which will hereinafter be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the presently preferred fixture in operative position on the top plate of a wall frame;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the preferred fixture;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the preferred fixture corresponding to the side most easily seen in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of the fixture.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the preferred embodiment is of a fixture 5 having a channel-shaped body providing a base wall 6 and opposite parallel side walls 7 and 8. The base wall 6 is formed with a cutout 9 thereby creating a window in the base through which the top plate 10 may be seen. The opposite longitudinal margins of the cutout 9 are smooth, while the other opposite side margins 11 are provided with oppositely paired alignment points 12, 13 and 14 respectively. The opposite points 12 and 13 are provided to indicate the thickness limits of a standard 2 x 4., while the oppositely paired points 14 are positioned to indicate the center line of a standard 2 x 4. The fixture 5 may be easily slid or pushed along the top plate 10 so that the individual carpenter alignment marks M will be seen through the opening 9, whereby the fixture can .be accurately located at each place where a stud 15 is to be positioned. The precise position can be arrived at by aligning the center line point 14 with the previously located carpenters mark M.

The present fixture is provided with means for securing the location thereof for either right or left handed worker, and for this purpose the side 8 of the body is provided with spaced angle brackets 16 for supporting suitable pivot pins 17 for locking arms 18. Each arm 18 is provided with a stop flange 19 that falls between the sides 7 and 8 of ice the fixture body 6 when the arms are swung to closed position as shown in full line in FIG. 4. The side 8 of body 6 is suitably formed with a slot 20 to permit the arms 18 to fold to the position shown in FIGS. 3 or 4, andalso side 7 is likewise formed with slots 21 for a similar purpose. Each arm 18 has an outer end 22 which projects beyond the side 7 of the body for purposes of manipulation thereof. Inwardly from the end 22 the arms are formed with slots 23 as seen in the broken outline of FIG. 4, in order to receive the hook end 24 of pivoted catches 25. Each catch 25 as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is mounted on a pivotal element 26 and is provided with a finger tab 27 to facilitate moving the catch to release position as shown in broken line in FIG. 3 so that the arms 18 may be released as desired.

In addition to locating the fixture on a plate member the pivoted arms 18 are adapted to engage on opposite sides of the adjacent ends of a stud 15. This is possible because the arms are flat and are directed perpendicularly to the channel formed in the body of the fixture, whereby there will be a surface on the inner facing sides of the arms 18 to engage opposite sides of a stud end which is in abutment with a plate member. As seen in FIG. 4, the thickness of a plate member 10 will be approximately equal to the distance between the base wall 6 and the flanges 19 on the arms 18. Since the arms are fiat and extend downwardly from the flanges 19 there will be a sufficient area of each arm 18 between which the end of a stud 15 can be engaged. At the same time, it is noted that the opposite side walls 7 and 8 of the body extend downwardly below the plate 10 and in this way securely locate the adjacent end of a stud so that there can be no twist allowed in the stud so as to get it out of squared alignment with the plate. In other words, a plate member is secured within the elongated channel of the fixture body 5 and the adjacent abutting end of the stud 15 is captured between the pivoted arms 18 and the flared portion of the side walls 7 and 8.

The fixture 5 is easily retained in any given position upon the closing of either or both of the arms 18. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, each arm 18 is provided with anchor point 28 in such position as when arms 18 are closed on the top plate 10 the anchor point 28 will penetrate the under surface thereof so as to prevent the fixture body 6 from being accidentially slid along the top plate out of intended alignment. The cutaway 9 in the body 6 in the fixture and the cooperating pairs of alignment points 12, 13 and 14 also give the worker an immediate visual check on the proper position of the fixture. It can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 that if the top plate 10 should be marked on the edge as at M the location of the fixture can still be achieved quite easily since each of the depending sides 7 and 8 is provided with a cross-slotted viewing window 29 through which the edge mark M may be quite easily seen.

As indicated previously, the fixture 5 may be easily used by either right or left handed workers as the arms 18 are arranged to be manipulated regardless of the dominant hand used by the worker. For example, one of the arms 18 may be completely released and allowed to swing to its full open position so as to disconnect the point 28, while the other arm 18 may be partially moved to open position as shown in FIG. 4 where it may be held while the fixture 5 is slid along the top plate 10 to the next position.

From the foregoing details of the present invention it can be appreciated that the fixture 5 can be easily used for initially locating the bottom ends of the stud 15 on the toe plate (not shown), prior to the Wall being erected. The locating and nailing of the bottom ends of the studs 15 on the toe plate is usually done by laying the studs on the ground and bringing the toeplate againstthe stud ends that the cutaway opening 9 exposes an area of the plate member directly over the stud 15. Therefore, nailing'is very easily and efiiciently accomplished directly through the opening 9 without fear of having any part of the present fixture interfere. In moving the fixture from place to place along the top plate it is noted that the marks M made on the side or edge of the plate can be quickly located in the cross-slotted viewing window 29. This is so because the horizontal slotted portions of the window will permit quick location of the mark M to either side of the vertical slot. Therefore, the member may be moved quickly in the proper direction so that the mark will appear in the vertical slot of the window. The cross-slotted window 29 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 may be provided on each side of the fixture if desired. In

applying the present fixture to the top plate 10- it can be appreciated, as shown in FIG. 4, that the opposite sides 7 and 8 are provided respectively with margins 7 and 8' that are given a slight draft angle which cause the fixture to move smoothly and easily over the plate 10.

The foregoing description has been given in connection with a preferred embodiment of the present invention but is not desired to limit the invention except as it may become necessary in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fixture for locating the end of a stud in abutment with a plate member for nailing, said fixture including an elongated body having a base wall and spaced parallel side walls on said base wall to define an open side opposite said base. wall. forreception of, a plate, member, a pair of arms hingedly mounted on one side wall to swing across the open side of said body and retain said body on the plate member, said arms being spaced apart to retain a stud end therebetween, and said base wall having an aperture therein opposite said pair'of arms to expose a surface of a plate member opposite the stud end retained between saidpair of arms.

2. The fixture of claim 1 wherein alignment means are disposed in said base wall aperture for matching position-marks on a plate member exposed in said aperture.

'3. The fixture of claim 1 wherein said pair of arms carries a point element in position to penetrate a plate member with said arm swung across the open side of said body.

4. The fixture of claim 1 wherein one of saidside walls in an area between said pair of arms is formed witha slotted v iewing aperture to expose a different surface of a plate member received therein.

5. The fixture of claim 1 wherein said other side wall is formed with spaced slots to receive and locate said arms in substantially parallel position and against spreading with a stud end therebetween.

6. The fixture of claim 5 wherein catch means is carried by said other side wall in position to engage said arms and hold the same in said slots.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1936 Grifiith 269-287 x 9/1941 Epstein 33 1s 0 U.S. c1. X.R. 33-474, 269-287, 319 

